Fundamentals of Manufacturing Processes

Have you wondered how something was manufactured? Do you want to learn what it takes to turn your design into a finished product at scale? This course introduces a wide range of manufacturing processes including machining, injection molding, casing, and 3D printing; and explains the fundamental and practical aspects of manufacturing at scale. For each process, 2.008x explains the underlying physical principles, provides several examples and demonstrations, and summarizes design for manufacturing principles. Modules are also included on cost estimation, quality and variation, and sustainability. New content added in 2020 and 2021 includes 360 degree high-fidelity views of products, augmented reality product disassembly, and select updated lecture videos. Together, the content will enable you to design a manufacturing process for a multi-part product, make quantitative estimates of cost and throughput, and recognize important constraints and tradeoffs in manufacturing processes and systems. The course concludes with a perspective on sustainability, digitization, and the worldwide trajectory of manufacturing.

• Manufacturing processes in detail: machining, injection molding, casting, thermoforming, sheet metal forming, 3D printing, electronics assembly, and more.
• Overarching principles: rate, quality, cost, flexibility, sustainability.
• Design for manufacturing principles, how to plan a multi-step manufacturing process, and important life-cycle considerations of mass-produced products.

• secondary school (high school) math and physics
• Calculus I
• knowledge or willingness to simultaneously study basic principles of mechanics of material, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and heat transfer